I posted this in another thread but thought it could use one of it's own.

While a clean dark car looks great, a dirty one can look terrible. I was apprehensive of buying a black car but have found that if I do a few things every day or so, I can keep it looking pretty good.

A couple of things that I have found to help keep my black daily driver looking nice are:

1. California duster - I use it everyday before driving to work to get the dust off. It is amazing how much builds up in just one day. It takes me less than 2 minutes to dust the car with this thing.

2. Quick detailer spray (I use Mequiars) - I use this once or twice a week or after it rains to get the spots off. This cleans things up a little more and gives a nice shine. This takes about 10-15 minutes if the car hasn't gotten too dirty.

3. Wipe the wheels down every couple of days to get off the brake dust. Takes about 5 minutes if they aren't too bad.

I've found by doing these few things, I avoid the weekly 1-2 hour wash which, when it is 30 degrees out, is a pain in the rear. Plus I dont drive around in a dirty car. It stays 95% clean most of the time and looks great.

Do you all have any "tricks" to share?

-Bo

 

I think it is a great idea to spend a few minutes frequently to keep the cars looking great. We've owned nothing but black cars for the past 10 years and I hate driving around when it looks dirty.

I keep a large stack of clean micro-fiber towels in the garage and will quickly wipe it down every other day or so. Picked up a pack of 35 or so of them from Costco for about $20. I keep my wife's BMW clean too so I don't catch any flack for the weekly basket of towels I add to the laundry. I go through about 10 towels per car when I wash them as I immediately dry them than use the damp towels to wipe down door sills and all nooks/crannies.

I have a full compliment of Griot's products and use their Speed Shine to get any between wash things off the car like bird droppings. I probably polish and wax them more than need be but I really enjoy buffing out a perfect wax job and than going for a drive and seeing the car just sparkle.

 

I use FK425 for a quick detailer. It is anti-static and repels dust quite well.

Try using ONR for washing. All you need is two gallons of water. You can have the whole car washed in the garage in about 30 minutes.

 

I just read about ONR. It sounds like a great product. Does it really work as well as they claim?

I think I'll pick up a bottle of it and give it a try. Where is a good place to get it?

 

The ONR works well. I used it on my truck this winter. The truck was really dirty. The only bad thing was the dirty water that pooled or laid in the cracks and dried. If the vehicle is dirty from light dirt( a week rain free driving), it is excellent and fast. Leaves behind a slick finish like a detail spray.

Oh, I bought mine from autogeek.

 

ClickClickBoom (that's the name of quite a rockin' song... are you a Saliva fan by chance?),

I just ordered both FK425 and ONR from Amazon. Should be here in a few days and I'll give them a try. Both have great reviews in addition to your recommendation.

 

You know, when you're registering on a forum it asks for a username. And you're like "crap what name can I use". Well Click Click Boom was playing at the time and it stuck.

The ONR can be used as a wash, detailer, and clay lube depending on mix ratio. I'm sure you'll like it.

 

It might be overkill but I've always covered my cars in the garage- car is driven 2-3 times a week.

I use a quick detailer- I've found that Armor All Detailer in the orange bottle works well. Some detailers tend to leave streak marks and just don't sit on the paint well.

Its not the best stuff but a cheaper option when you dont have better spray detailers on hand. I've tried most of them, also Meguiars ultimate detailer is good as well.

I can avoid a wash for weeks at a time , even month by wiping down everytime I put the car away.

 

My 996 is a DD so covering/uncovering that often would be a bit difficult but I do need to get a nice cover. I've seen the California Cover and it looks very well made and quite nice.

 

I will be an owner of a black on black 996 soon but already having owned a few dark colored cars, the op has hit it on the nail.

I don't even bother with the smaller quick detailer any more. I just buy the gallon stuff from Griots. Also, Harbor Freight has the generic California Dusters that work just as good and since they're cheap around $5 on sale, I just use it a few times and throw them away.

Besides washing in the shade, I also found a cheap Toro leaf blower to be good at drying the car without leaving any streaks and also drying in between the crevices. Nothing more annoying than washing your car and seeing streaks down the side of the car after you drive it.

I also found for metallic dark colored cars, a good wax is even more crucial in bringing out the true color and depth. My friend is a professional detailer and so I got to try all the waxes on my car and actually saw some differences, especially on dark colored metallic cars.

 

If you're picky about the finish, I would advise against dusting a black car. Even the best dusters will leave fine/micro scratches, just wait and wash it with a sheepskin mitt and a high quality solution.

 

Yeah - I am worried about that possibility of micro scratches with the dusting but I can't stand the buildup and dirty look without it. The "clean" look after dusting is worth it to me but like everything, there are trade offs. Unfortunately, the surface on my car isn't perfect with some places that need some professional attention.

Thanks for the heads up on the possible damage though, it is always good to be aware of things like this.

-Bo

 

yes i agree with jmla,dont use the california duster!overtime the finish will get more swirls and microfine scratches,so when the time comes to really get serious about restoring the finish,wether professionaly or by yourself,its gonna be labor intensive,and even more expensive if you have someone do it,believe me i know!, my 996 is midnight blue,one of the hardest colors to keep looking perfect!but like black or other dark colors when its right theres nothing sweeter,good luck its a labor of love after all.........

 

Thanks guys. Is there an alternative to the CA duster that can do a similar thing in a few minutes? That is why I like it. I can go over the car in 2 minutes before going to work.
But I don't want to create a mess of my paint in the process.

 

im sorry i dont think so! not if your nuts like me,dont drag anything over the surface,until its washed,ive such a good coat of wax on the car,that when i wash it the debris really gets off the paint quite well,i guess you just have to alot some time for a washing......good luck